Otakon Members Once Again Step Up for Tsunami Relief

Baltimore, MD (August 27, 2012) - Otakon 2012 once again digs deep for Japan Relief and raises over ¥3,000,000 ($38,000) for a total of over $100,000 since 2011.

In a continuing show of generosity and goodwill, members of Otakon 2012 including attendees, guests, industry partners, and staff raised $38,250 for Japan Relief. This year's numbers in combination with 2011's efforts of raising over $65,000 puts our total donations at over $100,000. The various efforts included merchandise (t-shirts, wristbands, buttons etc), and our hugely successful Charity Auction. Donations for 2012 will be going to The Japanese Red Cross Society for continuing tsunami relief.

We would like to thank our members for digging deep and once again proving that Otakon members are the best and we could not have done it without them. We would also like to thank the members, industry partners, and guests who donated to make the Charity Auction a huge success.

The top 3 items at the auction were:
● Hidenori Matsubara – Sketch of Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess - $5000
● Hidetaka Tenjin – Sketch of Macross 30th Anniversary VF-1S Strike Valkyrie - $4100
● Ai Nonoka – Poster and CD, Extremely Rare “Seeing Eye Dog Adoption” poster - $3000

You HELPED us show Japan we care. You SUPPORTED our efforts by spreading the word and raising awareness in your own community. You GAVE what you could to continue to help relief efforts. Otakon 2013 will be held August 9-11 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twentieth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 32,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 89,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2013, see www.otakon.com/